Figure skating: Makarova within reach of World Championship

Ksenia Makarova is out to prove that her meteoric rise in figure skating is no fluke.

KEN McMILLAN

Ksenia Makarova is out to prove that her meteoric rise in figure skating is no fluke.

The Newburgh Free Academy junior posted a season-best score in her short program on Friday and is in fifth place headed into the finals of the World Figure Skating Championships in Torino, Italy.

Makarova, 17, posted a score of 62.06 points, surpassing the efforts of a number of Olympic medalists, including Vancouver winner Kim Yu-Na of South Korea. Makarova will compete last in the final group of six on Saturday. The finals will be televised live by the cable channel Universal Sports at 7:30 a.m. Makarova is expected to perform at approximately 11:45 a.m.

Makarova's parents, Oleg Makarov and Larisa Selezneva, won a silver medal in pairs at the 1985 World Championships and bronze in 1988, as well as an Olympic bronze at the 1984 Sarajevo Games.

"We told her to just go have fun and she did a very good job," Makarov said. "We're proud of her and I think she's ready to place high. (Ksenia) was impressive, she looked strong, she did a lot of things right."

Mirai Nagasu of the United States is in first place with 70.40 points. She is followed by Mao Asada of Japan (68.08), Finland's Laura Lepisto (64.30) and Italy's Carolina Kostner (62.20).

In the final group on Sunday, the order will be Kostner, Asada, Flatt, Lepisto, Nagasu and Makarova.

Makarova posted a technical score of 36.90 — the third-highest among the 55 competitors — and a program component score of 25.16, the second-lowest among the top 12 finishers in the short skate.

This is Makarova's debut at the World Championships, and only her fifth senior-level event since making the jump from juniors in November. Makarova won her debut in France in November, won the Russian national title on Christmas, placed ninth at the European Championships in January and finished 10th in Vancouver.